Jordan Bardella, president of France’s National Rally (Rassemblement National, RN), won 98.98% in the party’s leadership vote, keeping him at the helm as it prepares to open its 2027 presidential campaign.
Bardella was the only candidate for the presidency. National Rally lawmaker and congress organizer Yoann Gillet announced 75,497 votes for him and 779 blank ballots, Le Parisien and Euronews reported. The outlets said turnout was nearly 68% of party members.
Electronic voting ran from Sept. 21 through Oct. 22, according to the party’s congress page, which said results would be presented at the Oct. 24-25 gathering in Orléans. In an Oct. 24 statement, the party confirmed Bardella’s re-election and said he proposed a new National Bureau to the newly elected National Council.
Euronews reported that the National Rally presents Marine Le Pen as its prospective presidential candidate and considers Bardella a possible prime minister if the party wins a parliamentary majority. Before the result was announced, Bardella called on supporters to help Le Pen reach the Élysée, the outlet reported.
Le Pen and Bardella are scheduled to appear at Arena Orléans on Sunday, Oct. 25, for an event listed to begin at 10 a.m. ET (3 p.m. CET). The official listing describes it as the launch of the 2027 presidential campaign. The party’s congress page calls it the campaign’s first major meeting.
Euronews reported that opponents held a counterdemonstration in Orléans on Oct. 24. Attendance estimates differed: Euronews cited authorities at about 11,000 and organizers at 26,000, while Le Parisien cited a prefecture estimate of 13,000 and the organizers’ figure of 26,000. Euronews also cited a protest against a party congress in Strasbourg on Mar. 29, 1997, when more than 50,000 people demonstrated.
